New quality assurance standards for grapevine planting material in Australia are now in place and a workshop being hosted by the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre in November aims to help the propagation industry meet the grade. The Growing to the standard workshop will present Australian and international research in grapevine trunk diseases, viruses, bio-security and propagation. Workshop organiser and Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD researcher Ms Helen Waite said the workshop will put together the latest research to help growers, nurseries and Vine Improvement Associations."The new Australian Standard for Grapevine Material forms the basis of quality assurance for cuttings and nursery vines in Australia but it's relevant to vine propagators everywhere," she said. "Unhealthy vines are less productive, they produce poorer quality fruit, they're harder to manage and therefore they cost a lot more money so it can sometimes threaten the sustainability of a vineyard." See a full list of speakers here. The workshop will follow the 9th International Workshop on Grapevine Trunk Diseases being held on Friday 2 November at the SARDI Plant Research Centre in South Australia.Register online or contact Ms Waite by email or on 0419 522 875.

Riverina grain growers will be confronted by old and new challenges in 2014, and local Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Southern Regional Panel deputy chair, Associate Professor Chris Blanchard from Charles Sturt University (CSU), wants to ensure the region's cropping issues are being addressed. The GRDC Southern Regional Panel identifies cropping constraints and opportunities and directs research priorities to benefit grain growers. With seven years on the panel, Professor Blanchard is with the University's School of Biomedical Sciences and is Director of the new Australian Research Council Training Centre for Functional Grains at CSU in Wagga Wagga He said he wants to address known issues hampering productivity and profitability in the area, and shed light on emerging problems. "My involvement with the GRDC Southern Regional Panel is an opportunity for me to have an input into the direction of research in Australia," he said. As part of his role in identifying potential issues for GRDC attention, Riverina grain growers are encouraged to contact Professor Blanchard directly to discuss  current cropping issues on mobile 0438 662 992, or by email. See more about Associate Professor Blanchard here.

The annual Charles Sturt Winery 'Bathurst Winter Feast' will now be held on Friday 1 August. The new date has been chosen following advice from the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Division of Facilities Management and building contractors regarding major renovations to the on-campus dining facilities, including Rafters. Charles Sturt Wines marketing manager, Mr Justin Byrne, said, "After speaking with the chefs and event organisers we agreed that it was best to delay the event until all the kitchen works were completed. It was a great event last year and we didn't want to compromise the standard that has been set. We hope all those with tickets will be able to join us but, if not, full refunds will be available with our apologies." Ticket holders will be contacted directly. The CSU chefs have devised a degustation menu matched to a range of Charles Sturt Wines, including the excellent 2009 Reserve Sparkling and the 2007 Shiraz, which won a Gold Medal and was in the taste-off for the Jimmy Watson Trophy in Melbourne in 2008.

Being awarded a Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies (BECS) from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario doesn't mark the end of study for Ms Moyra Hewlett, rather it's a step towards further learning. Ms Hewlett is one of more than 150 students from CSU's School of Education who will graduate in a formal ceremony in Burlington on Friday 13 June. Ms Hewlett's own experience as a single parent of twins and involvement with programs offered through the Ontario Early Years Centers inspired her to study early childhood education." Charles Sturt University offered me insight into the issues of social justice and the importance of building relationships with community and family as a means of offering quality programs for children," she said. Ms Hewlett is now planning to study a Bachelor of Primary Education Studies at CSU. "Inspired by my own children, who guide my learning each day I seek to be a teacher who, rather than making children ready  for school, creates a classroom with children and for children, in response to their personal gifts and experiences," she said. Read more about the graduation ceremony on CSU News here.

The annual regional RoboCup Junior Challenge for school students will be staged at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst on Friday 13 June. As a sign of the growing interest in robotics and enthusiasm for this event, CSU organisers expect double the participants from last year, with approximately 165 students from 10 schools in the central west and Blue Mountains to compete in two team challenge categories - dance, and rescue. Mr Allen Benter, associate lecturer in the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics in Bathurst said, "The RoboCup Junior Challenge aims to develop teamwork and technical skills in an environment of participation, fun and excitement. The competition is the culmination of plenty of hard work by students who have built and programmed their robots following workshops we held for students and their teachers earlier this year, and is an opportunity for students to show their ingenuity and creativity to solve complex problems. Robotics is a developing career area and perhaps some of these students will design and build the domestic, industrial and manufacturing robots of the future."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will this week host young robotic innovators from across the Riverina with the RoboCup Junior Challenge to be held from 9.30am to 2pm on Wednesday 11 June. On the day of the competition in the CSU Convention Centre, over 100 students from schools around the region will participate in three separate team challenges; dance, rescue, and soccer. The Challenge aims to develop teamwork and technical skills in an environment of participation, fun and excitement. Lecturer at the CSU School of Computing and Mathematics, Mr Allen Benter, said, "The competition is the culmination of plenty of hard work by students in building and programming their robots, and is an opportunity to show their ingenuity and creativity to solve complex problems. Robotics is an emerging career and maybe some of these students will be designing and building the domestic, industrial and manufacturing robots of the future." The competition follows an earlier training day for the Riverina students at CSU in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 27 March.

Senior high school students on the Mid North Coast attended workshops about careers in health organised by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Port Macquarie last week. About 60 students in Years 10, 11 and 12 participated in the 'Hands Up 4 Health' program at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital on Tuesday 3 and in Kempsey on Thursday 5 June. The program showcased a range of professional health careers. Students were also advised about the subjects which will benefit a career in health, and given information about various career options and the availability of courses in the local area. CSU Indigenous Student Support Officer, Ms Helene Jones, said, "Students were able to have a 'hands-on' experience in a hospital environment, talking to radiographers, medical imaging specialists, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, administration officers, technicians, pathologists, and environmental health officers. Students were fully engaged and participated in all activities. The program broke down some misconceptions for some students and made them all think that a health career is a realistic option for them."

Year 12 students from central west high schools will visit Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Wednesday 11 June for workshops about HSC agriculture subjects, as part of the university's MyDay program. MyDay is designed to give high school students who have expressed interest in a particular area of study a taste of 'living and learning' on campus at CSU. The agriculture HSC workshops will include a tour of the campus and sessions on farming in the 21st century, agrifood, fibre and fuel, and climate challenge. Other topics will include plant reproduction and genetics, farm product studies, and exam preparation. MyDay events are  planned for CSU in Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga throughout June and July on a range of career areas, including teaching and education, agriculture, nursing, biomedical sciences, communication, and policing and justice studies. Visit here for further details.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) will showcase its teaching and education courses in Albury-Wodonga during the MyDay event on Friday 13 June. The program aims to give small groups of Year 11 and Year 12 students from schools around Albury-Wodonga detailed and personalised information about the University's Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) and Bachelor of Education (K-12) and options in teaching and other careers. "By attending the day, we hope prospective students will be able to better choose courses that will suit their needs and career aspirations," said CSU prospective student adviser, Mr Ben O'Brien. The MyDay Teaching and Education event runs from 10am to 2pm on Friday 13 June at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, off Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Thurgoona.